This palm tree painting has thick paint and a pastel color palette. Impressionist painting of Laguna Beach, California. I painted this on location, plein air, at noon-ish. The texture of the paint makes the palm trees look like they are moving in the wind. Impressionist in style allows room for loose, juicy paint. I like to get the gist of the scene and let the viewers finish the painting with their own eyes. When I first started out painting, one of my favorite books was Oil Painting Workshop by Ted Goeshner. The author instructs how we should not paint down to the viewer. Everyone knows what a tree looks like. We don’t need to paint every leaf. I like this approach because it gives more room to focus on atmosphere, mood, and texture. Laguna Beach is gorgeous 365 days a year, even on the gloomy days. With palm trees everywhere swaying in the wind and the sounds of the surf pounding the shore one feels (if you’re a local like me) as if you are on a mini vacation.

Recent Paintings

Original Oil Paintings

Kathleen paints original oil paintings in the impressionist style. Most of them are painted in Plein Air alla prima, which means outdoors all in one sitting. She is inspired by the works of famous artists like Cecilia Beaux, Franz Bischoff, and Joaquin Sorolla. Learn more about the impressionist painter and her life and works in the about section.

Original oil paintings have a special place in the heart of collectors as they are one of a kind pieces that only one person owns. Although artists often paint the same location over and over, no two original paintings will ever be the same, as every brushstroke and oil pigment is unique and unreplicable. Take a look at her oil painting blog to see the paintings as they are created weekly with some commentary, or check out her oil paintings for sale to find out how to buy them in person or online.